A Choice of Betrayals
by Whightwolf
Summary: Ok chapter five it up, hurrah! And here they are... the guys and gal you've all been waiting for, their back and far scarier than before. The story progresses as ever, reviews are as ever wanted!
1. Beginnings

A Choice of Betrayals

Well this is my first Teen Titans thing, amazing what you can be inspired to do when killing time ain't it? Still I though of this after watching spellbound, so bare both that and birthmark in mind when your reading this. Oh and He isn't quite what he appears…. (don't worry you'll get it)

Part one: A beginning.

She awoke gasping heavily scanning the dark room quickly, nothing… Strange what had woken her? Then she felt it… So hard to describe. A… Presence out in the city, malevolent and strong. Another magic user, a black magic user. Leaping out of bed and snatching up her cloak she soared down the shadowy corridor into the control room. All quiet no alarms. Landing soft booted feet silently touched the metallic floor of the Tower. It was so clear now; she could point to it, was it real? It felt new and yet familiar, almost like…. Without a thought a slender hand slammed down on the control panel in front of her. Moments later the Tower was awake. Running feet and pattering paws filler her ears.  
"Raven what is it?" Robin's voice she couldn't stop staring out of the window. Something was out there and it was so strong.  
"Something's out there" Behind her beast boy and Cyborg looked at each other and shrugged. Robin took a step closer and in tone that screamed 'I don't believe you' said.  
"Raven… are you sure?"  
She gave him the barest half turn for acknowledgment.  
"Always." Even as Robin was about to speak again. An alarm screamed.  
"Well something is robbing a museum down town. The scanners aren't picking up any solid bodies" Cyborg's normal confidence seemed more than a little shaken, something he couldn't detect but Raven could… That meant it was something bad.  
"Titans Go!"

* * *

The forecourt was ablaze the air ringing with maniacal laughter. Same old, same old Raven thought with a smirk. But this was different these, things, were different. All of them stood near as tall as Cyborg but almost skeletally thin, horns and bony spines rose from their shoulders, elbows, knees and they even had talons, their skin was red and black while their eyes shone a baleful yellow… all four of them.

Blasting aside the last of her opponents, she soared higher, free from the melee she looked below her trying to see who could use a little help.

Robin as ever was moving as if he didn't have bones Bo-staff spinning and whipping about as if it weighed nothing. But these beasts just laughed, a foul noise almost human but so _wrong,_at it as it bounced off them as if they were made of iron. Starfire soared high above chased by half a dozen of foes all hurling fireballs and flying through her blasts of terrific energy as if they were just pretty lights. Beastboy was changing shape faster than she'd ever seen him, trying to find any shape that would work the things laughed as one of them hurled him, as a gigantic snake, into Cyborg. Who it seemed was having a little more luck. As the now small mouse of Beastboy hit him Cyborg let out blast after blast into the ranks of beasts and the ground around them. The clouds of the explosions mingled and an entire wall of the museum collapsed.  
"Booo-Ya!" The armoured colossus roared. Leaping into the air. "You just can't beat the Cybor…. Aww hell" Taloned hands burst from the mounds, fanged mouths laughing horribly.  
"Titans fall back!" Robin's firm commanding voice rising above the mess of the battle. Even as the four of them backed into a corner of the square all facing outwards, firing hopelessly in a desperate, attempt to slow these adversaries.

Raven soared between them and the advancing beasts, so this was their last stand then. Who would have thought it would be her doing the fighting?  
"Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" Black energy poured from pale hands blasting into the beasts, they were hurled from their feet in droves but there were always more. It was hopeless and they didn't even know what these things were! Let alone what they wanted. But then that was never a good enough reason not to try and stop them. The beasts struck to the floor just seemed to fade away to thin trail of vapour. Well at least they could be defeated.

Meanwhile behind the battle the great doors of the museum, one figure strode out of it. Blood red robes swept aside dust, he moved with a power, a purpose. But his face was… horrible, wasted away, dry and tinted yellow, the white hair hung to his shoulders and a thin goatee pointed from a bony chin. All in all Raven decided he was one of those guys who gave Sorcerers a reputation for having no style. Under one arm, he held a figurine of some sort of half bird half-human creature. But Raven was far to busy trying to stay alive to pay to much notice. Then he span to face her and everything seemed to stop. That diabolical face twisted in glee.  
"Ahhhh the Daughter! The Master will be please." He articulated clear enough for Raven to catch. "Take her alive! Ignore the others. Obey me!" the beasts bowed their heads in acquiescence and surged. Raven prepared for one last blast. She could at least buy the others time to escape.

But she never needed it.

He descended to earth like a silent thunderbolt; he hit the flags of the forecourt so hard they shattered around where his knee had hit them. He rose to his feet in moments, black cloak fluttering back and away from him. In his hand he held a blade of blackened steel, the beasts slunk back as if in fear.  
"Ahhhh, so you come to join this little farce do you child?" The voice of the figure on the steps was thick with harsh mockery. "The council think a child can challenge me after your Father, and I will consent he was not the usual council weakling, was crushed by an… amateur of the Art? I feel sorry for you my boy I really do."  
"You cannot kill the Guardian, Archon." The figures voice was cold and harsh in its own way, not angry or dark but as if all emotion had been stripped from it and left it empty and hollow. The voice tugged at Ravens soul. What could make a voice like that?

Even as she tried to think the figures, blade was wreathed in black energy and he charged the beasts. Bolts of black flashed from his left hand smashing the things to the ground. There was only one thing for it, Raven swept after him, eyes blazing with darkness shouting incantations, her own bolts of darkness matching his. The creatures were thrown into disarray by this sudden change of fortunes as these two mages swept thought them like a wild fire. Raven didn't know how it happened but she found herself and the newcomer fighting perfectly in sync.

As the last beasts were starting to fade they looked up at the steps, the red robed man looked down at them and smiled.  
"Ahhhh delightful work Guardian, well as I have been told youths say; it's been real." Still so composed he lifted one withered hand and snapped his fingers in an instant he was consumed in flames, in moments though they flashed out and he was gone. The broad shoulders of the cloaked figure sagged. As if, failure mounted over his head.

Slowly he turned looking at the Titans, he pulled back his hood, and to their surprise, it showed a face no older than that of the Titans.  
"I apologise that this took place in your City. I will try and drive Archon from here as soon as I can," His voice was different now it sounded deep and resonant, older than his face. "I will try." Without another word he span on his heal about to walk into vanish into a side street until a voice called after him.  
"What were those creatures? What do you have to do with them? Who are you?" The rest of the team were quick with similar choruses of questions, the rest of the team that is except Raven.  
"Ahhhh yes, I am sorry. You deserve at least a few answers." The accent was hard to place, it was educated but not American, let alone from Jump. English? "The man… If you can call him that, was Archon, a user of Black and Fire magic. The creatures were Demons, servants of Archons Patron. That is why your weapons and powers could not hurt them. They are not of this world, only Magic can really hurt them." He sighed and looked down at booted feet. "As I said I am sorry this had to take place in your city, I recommend you return to your home and that this one." He gestured at Raven casually with the three-foot long blade. "Defends you, I will drive Archon from city as soon as I can. I am sorry." He turned to go once more when a soft, gravely monotone cut in for the first time.  
"Do you have a place to stay?" Raven looked at Robin…hard.  
"Ehhh, why not? Your welcome to stay in the Titan Tower with us if you like?" He scratched the back of his head thoughtfully casting a sideways glance at Raven. Was she really so eager for someone to talk to that she would speak up like that? Immediately he dismissed the thought. This man had just saved their lives after all.  
"Yare why not man? See if we can rig up some sort of way for us to at least help." Cyborg's cheerful rumble rose up from the back.  
"If you like tofu that is?" Beastboy sounding even higher pitched after Cyborg's rumble.  
"Truly? You would invite me into your home?" His eyes wide as he looked at the welcoming faces, he had never been too good with people, training had always been more important.  
"Yes! Come; let us return to the tower! A documentary on the human digestive system is about to be starting!" To all the world an explosion of cheerful eagerness to explore the world of excretion.  
"You'll get used to her." Raven was stood next to him now; talking quietly in the same gravely tone.  
"O-of course" He smiled down at her. Another mage… Why couldn't he sense her? Turing back to the group he grinned widely. "Thank you, so much. If I am to be staying with you then I suppose I must tell you the whole story…"  
"Save it" Robin cut him off with a grin. "This is hardly the place for it." He gestured at the shattered square and small fires, the sirens of the Emergency services already ringing in the distance.

"Come on Titans lets get home.


	2. Guardian of what exactly?

Part two: introductions

So anyone who guesses Archon's patron before the end wins a muffin, if not well never mind. Oh and all big plot guesses e-mail me. Reviews please!

Backdated disclaimer: I diddnt never steal nofink

* * *

"This all began, aeons ago, over three thousand years," Guardian paced in front of the TV, hood drawn up once more, the Titans were slouched across the couch munching on a veritable feast of Pizza, Tofu and Glork, washed down with more soda than Guardian would assume was possible without bathroom breaks. "With the creation of the first guardian" It was the words 'this began over three thousand years ago' that had made the one who called himself Cyborg organise the snacks with the overwhelming bounciness of the one called Starfire flying all around him in a vain effort to 'help'. "Since before even their own records began there had been the Order." He looked at Raven as if expecting recognition and just got a blank look. "Their were powers unmatched… or so they thought. But one of their number betrayed their sacred duty, to protect the world against the Demons that so desperately want to destroy all human life. One of them was greedy, and he listened to the whispered promises of the worst of the demons, a beast with the power to destroy the world, a demon lord. In return for his obedience to this demon this mage received vast power. Single handed he tore the great halls of the Guardians asunder, none were a match for him the healing and weather magics of the Guardians were no match for the waves of fire and death that the traitor called down. But they escaped, haunted by the mad laughter of Archon once the noble leader of their order." He scanned the faces of the others before continuing, he could feel the memories of all the previous Guardians silently confirming as he spoke.

"Exiled from their hallowed halls the Order decided that there could only be one way they all poured their powers into one of their number one who would Guard the world where the order had failed. And so the first Guardian was born incarnate of their entire order. His powers were amazing; Magic seemed to leap to obey his very wishes. But arriving at the site of the former Tower what he found turned his bowls to water. The former strong hold of Light was now a dark temple to the Apocalypse, the demon servants of Archon's Patron were pouring through a great magical gateway while Archon laughed upon his throne. The Guardian fell upon then in a frenzy, dark beams of energy banishing demons from the world as the very first of the order had aeons ago. Finally with the demonic beasts fleeing for the portal and the demon lord howling in fury from across the worlds. The Guardian faced Archon across the ruins of the sacred halls. Demon flames met magical might in a clash that shook the world as Demon tried to force all his power into Archon's mortal shell. But it was not enough. As the last of Archon's flames died away he fled at last into the closing portal of the demon world." He sighed as if regretting a long remembered failure of his own rather than that of a predecessor.

"After that the Order was never the same, they scattered across the world raising their own apprentices and defending the world in their own way. But still ruling over them was the Council, a moving body of dark robed figures they were prepared, are prepared, to sacrifice anything, pay any price to destroy Archon and seal the breech in the worlds for all time. Finally though his powers extended his life the first Guardian died in his bed and as a last act imbued his power into his sword, this sword." He tapped the blade at his hip. "And gave it to his son. So the line of the Guardians passed on through the years while the Order waxed and waned the Guardian always stood strong hunting out dark mages and any who might try and use the power of magic for evil." He slumped down then on the edge of the couch and grabbed a piece of Glork without thinking.

"So you see here I am, trying at least to fulfil my duty now Archon has awoken aga-" His little speech was broken off by choking splutters. Cyborg slammed his hand down on his back absent-mindedly.  
"Sounds like we're in for a fair fight then" he said grinning.  
"What do you mean?" Guardian looked up at the armoured colossus through bloodshot eyes and rasping choughs, by the black light of a dead star what had he just put in his mouth?  
"Oh yes noble friend! Your worth quest with which we shall be assisting!" Starfire chimed as she floated back from the fridge, arms laden with soda.  
"Yes we have all agreed to defend this city, we cant stand idly by no matter the odds." Robin's voice took on an almost simplistic tone of one explaining the blindingly obvious.  
"Besides" Beastboy's squeak cut in. "We cant you have all the fun can we?"

The mood bounced along happily for a little while, Guardian beating Cyborg's high score on  
_Devil May Cry_. But with Beastboy and Cyborg occupied beating all kinds of hell into their virtual selves and with Starfire cheering apparently both on at once while continuing her long running campaign for Robin to try Glork. Guardian and Raven found their hands met on the fridge door.  
"Sorry"  
"Sorry" They muttered in unison. Raven looked at the floor and Guardian scratched the back of his head. Come on Raven quick, quick, break the silence.  
"Err, what was Archon's Patron called? The demon I mean." Guardian looked up quickly. A grateful look in his eyes.  
"Trigon." The room froze, Guardian looked behind him, the others were all staring at him. "What?" A piece of Pizza dropped out of Cyborg's hand. Beastboy though, who it must be said was never the swiftest reader of social situations.  
"Trigon is Ra-" The rest was muffled behind one of Cyborg's great metal hands.  
"We've had a few run ins with him, that's all. Nasty guy huh?"  
"You could say that…. " Guardian eyed them suspiciously, then smiled, they didn't want to talk about a battle they surely could not have won. That must be it. "Well anyway, you said there was somewhere I could crash?"  
"Of course man, just follow me." Robin grinned, who knew how this guy would react to knowing the daughter of his arch-enemy was living under the same roof, would they even have time to explain how it really was?


	3. Early mornings, cold chinese and a battl...

"Eugh…" Raven moaned into her pillow, what time was it? Peering through the gloom she saw the blinking digital face of her clock, one of the few submissions to modern technology in the room. Five forty-five… For the love of god, her head flopped back onto the pillow, hair dropping over her eyes. Lying there she tried to think, so currently out in the city there was a mage who had evaded capture for around three thousand years, thirty centuries, three hundred decades whose presence was still unexplained while under their own roof rested a warrior raised from birth to hate Trigon. That in itself was fine, but how long would they have between saying 'Well you now that demon who's followers you have been hunting and probably killing? Well guess what? I'm his daughter destined to bring about the apocalypse…. But its ok because I _really _don't want to." And him putting that sword through her? She groaned and nuzzled deeper into her pillow. But it wasn't working, sleep was lost. Groaning she dragged herself out of bed.

"May as well get an hours training in." She muttered floating to the door, her cloak meeting her half way. Silently she drifted down the corridors and dropped down the centre of the stair well.

"Third floor, computer game, garage and training." She smiled slightly and drifted on. If last night was anything to go by she would need to be at her sharpest. Those things were insatiable and a mage with Three thousand years experience was nothing to be trifled with. Great, just great.

That's odd, the lights to the training room were on. The room was huge, three stories tall and taking up most of each floor still it allowed training for combat and almost anything else you could ask for. Robin's inspiration and Cyborg's skill had made the room nothing if not adaptable. Landing close to the door she padded forward. Was she about to get a look on one of Robin's private sessions? Filled with a rising almost child like curiosity she peered round the door. It wasn't Robin.

Guardian was stripped to the waist and barefoot, just wearing those light flowing trousers. His top, gauntlets, shoulder guards, boots and cloak were piled in a corner. He moved like he was dancing, spinning suddenly on one foot, twisting in the air to balance on one hand. Every movement flowing into the next, it was not as rushed as Robin's style, not as forceful. She caught herself looking at his body beneath the glowing lamps, a head taller than herself he was broader than Robin, heavier set while the boy wonder was wolf lean. Why was she staring? Rubbing her eyes she leant back against the wall in the corridor. What was she doing? Get a hold of your self, she ordered her mind. Shaking her head she lifted into the air and drifted into the cavernous room.

"Morning." As ever her tone stayed the same. Guardian tripped mid move and clumsily landed sprawled across the floor.

"Sorry, eh, I didn't since you." He smiled nervously. "It's ok to be in here isn't it? Robin said make myself at home and…"

"Don't worry about it." She tried her best at a warm smile, probably just made her look creepier.

"Thanks." he paused as if thinking. "You couldn't get some of these machines working could you? I had a horrific nights sleep, I was thinking about… Things. Anyway I need to loosen up." Raven looked at him and raised an eyebrow.

"I'll see what I can do." Her tone pointed with more than a little irony. Turning she drifted to the control panel in the corner. "What's that on your chest?" A black birthmark stood out clearly.

"I don't know really, it kinda looks like a bird or a dragon. Something about destiny apparently" He smiled ruefully. "Some prophesy, about the end of the world, my father always says.. Said, prophecy's are self fulfilling if you know them. Better to make up your own mind, right?" He tried a smile but Raven didn't smile back she just nodded.

"Your probably right. Now how lucky are you feeling?" So hard to hold her emotions in that tight little ball at her heart. That fluttering when she saw him, was it fear?

"Try me." He smiled, for a moment shadow fell across his face, for now at least he was on their side. Tapping a few controls and panels in the walls opened. Two drones sped out, firing out clay disks meant for target shooters. Guardian dived into a roll, coming up on one knee between the speeding drones. A lance of dark energy short from each hand.

The smoking wreckage of the drones his the ground, the circuitry giving off a pitiful whine.

"Not to bad, I guess." Still any of the titan's could have done as well, even Beastboy. Guardian just smiled. Six drones accelerated out into the room, they were moving at least twice as fast and blasting metal balls an inch across from rotating cannons slung beneath their main bodies. These drones ducked and weaved dodging his energy bolts as he ran from their fire power. Suddenly Raven saw him grin as he reached a wall, leaping at the wall he jumped again. Landing on top of the nearest drone , a black spear surrounding him. The other drones swung around and opened fire. The drone was torn to pieces beneath the hailstorm to metal. Guardian stayed, hovering like an avenging angel. He opened his right hand and called out.

"To me!" The black sword short from the scabbard, spinning so fast it looked like a black disk it shot into Guardian's outstretched hand. He waited as drones slowed to a steady orbit. Then made a slashing gesture with his sword, crescent arcs of black light destroyed the last of the drones and Guardian dropped to the floor.

"And here was me thinking that the Titan's were the greatest hero's in the world. You train against these?" Raven gave an evil little half smile.

"Oh the big, strong warrior wants a challenge." She tapped the last button and raised a shield around herself and the controls. Dozens of panels opened in the walls, a good dozen drones of black and silver flew out into the room, launchers rose up from the floor and protruded from walls and exploding disks filled the air…

Twenty minutes later, Guardian was panting on his knees as the last drone finished its slow spiral to the ground with a tiny explosion. Raven's slow clapping filled the room.

"Not to bad, for a beginner."

"That…." He gasped. "Was a nice challenge." Sweat was dripping from him. "Breakfast?" He walked across to his clothes.

"Sure… After you have a shower so you don't smell like beast boy." she added sardonically, he really did smell. Guardian gave a low sweeping bow.

"As the lady commands."

"Sure, shower is through there." she pointed as a towel wrapped in a black corona hit him in the chest.

By the time they were back in the main room it was daylight, the sun poured through the huge bay windows.

"How do you afford a place like this anyway? I mean the council headquarters isn't that much bigger." Guardian was still looking around himself in amazement.

"Robin dates a lot of rich older men." Raven said in a flat dead pan tone that dropped his jaw. Raven smiled at him. "Don't be stupid, it was a sort of reward from the government and Jump. We watch over the city and we get food and cable. Not a bad deal right? Because they cant really pay us if they don't know who we are right? Beastboy was never on any sort of record, Star Fire isn't from earth, Cyborg is legally dead, I didn't even grow up in this universe and Robin wont tell." She shrugged and went back to rummaging through the fridge. "Ok, ok, we have either…" She brought one hand from behind her back. "Cold Chinese, or" Brining out the other hand. "Fresh Glork." Guardian shuddered.

"The Chinese sounds great…. Burn the Glork and exorcise the ashes." He added with a grin.

Moments later they were watching the ships across the bay, munching on old take out food.

"Isn't it weird how it tastes better the next day?" He asked.

"I hadn't noticed, normally I'm in bed at this time. Y'know like a sane person."

"What on earth would posses you to act like one of those? I think I prefer it when you are yourself." A black aura surrounded pillow hit him in the side of the head. "For shame! Uncouth woman assaulting a fellow while he is eating!" He said in mock fury. Three cushions lifted off the sofa next to him and accelerated towards Raven. Who dodged neatly. She just grinned at him, all eight pillows lifted into the air.

"Come on now…. You wouldn't attack a guest would you?" He smiled hopefully.

She smiled back… Then the pillows hit him.

The conflict that unfurled was one of epic proportions far to complicated and confusing for the writer to portray here with even the glimmer of a hope of accuracy. Suffice to say though when Star Fire arrived a good five minutes later the air was full of stuffing and pillow scraps, with Raven and Guardian lying on opposite ends of the sofa, both claiming victory.

"Friend Raven, new friend Guardian! What happened were we attacked?" She bit her lip, her friends were clearly tired, what could have got into the tower? "Is it still here?" a Star bolt began to charge in her hand.

"Your friend, oh charming Star Fire, is a brute and a ruffian!" Guardian declared in mock outrage, Star Fire couldn't tell.

"Is this true Raven? Did you attack out guest?" Her eyebrows wrinkling in an effort to understand, if they had been fighting why were they both laughing?

"Don't worry about it, just a pillow fight." Raven intoned.

"Whoa! Who tore up the place?" Cyborg walked in looking around admiringly, one of the piles of feathers and cushion bits hit him in the face.

"Friend Raven and Friend Guardian have been having a fight of pillows!"

"And you didn't invite me?" Cyborg asked, looking almost a little hurt.

"It was an impromptu thing, old boy. Didn't you say you had a car or something you wanted to show me?" Cyborg perked up and grinned.

"Sure, my baby is down stairs…" with that the two strode out of the side door into the lift.

"Star.."

"Yes friend Raven?"

"How do you know if you like someone?" Star fire turned and looked at Raven who had all the remains of the pillows floating in front of her in a black haloed ball. She seemed a little uneasy.

"Your father tells you! Or at least that's how it is where I come from. Robin says humans choose themselves, that you cant help it and you'll just know. He gets sad when he says things like that…" Raven twisted her hands and the great black ball shrank until it was the size of a tennis ball. Then let her power flicker out and dropped the ball in the trash.

"Yeah it's a little different here. Oh and ask Robin out." She added as she left the room.


	4. Of books and Thieves

Ok well as my reviewer has pointed out I made a few mistakes in the last chapter I hope I have rectified at least a few of them. Still the hard core should like this, we get to see the imergence of our real villains (that is the 'real' ones). Also we get to almost see my fave TT baddie, any guesses?

Part 4: Of books and thieves.

Another night in the Tower. The Titans and Guardian had scoured the city with everything from magical trances from Raven to Starfire just plain flying around. They finally returned, felling dejected. Where had he gone? Normally when villains began an attack on the city they went all out, they didn't just vanish! Finally though they all went to bed, except Raven and Guardian. Who were watching a rather strange film in French, which both were pretending to understand because the other seemed too. Starfire had just gone to bed and they were starting to feel uncomfortable…

"You are sure you can achieve this? Thief." The half yellow mask looms out of the shadows that fill the hanger of the great, plane. The steady thrum of the engines filled the silence as the figure by the open hanger doors looked up, his suit was beyond high tech. It made half the things produced at S.T.A.R. look like they were knocked up in a garden shed by well meaning but incompetent boffins.

The face was a stylised Death's head, slashed with stylised red cross. The new Red X, the hanger was filled with Slade's robots but the figure slouched in such a way that he radiated confidence.

"Hmm, you think I cant?" He waited a moment. "I thought so, don't toy with me Slade, I'm not your lackey. Just be ready with the payment." Red X sauntered over to the open hanger, black and red cape flickering past him the heavy winds. "Be ready." He finished and stepped off backwards.

"Infuriating boy." The voice veritably thrummed with power as the Red robed Archon stepped from the shadows.

"Oh yes" replied Slade moving to look out of the hanger watching the hurtling body. "But very, very good at his job."

* * *

Empty air rushed past his visor, far below the great T of the Titan Tower grew in size at an almost alarming rate. People had asked him why he had saved them, he usually made up some enigmatic answer. But really it was simple, they dealt the competition. So long as these poor fools looked after Jump there wasn't a trace of real competition in his league. But this is where his perfect scheme fell down, faster even than he was hurtling even now. He got bored… So incredibly bored it really did defy belief. 

Who would believe it? A guy with the world at his feet, the suit and the skills to do anything. It turned out it was exactly like he had feared… At the top of the mountain the world was flat. So when Slade had approached him with a job, to steal what seemed to a trophy theft from the Titans he had jumped at the chance, well he had accepted in a casual laid back manner anyway. Time to work.

Spreading his arms and legs out from his pencil dive, his cape fluttering, tapping a button his wrist, lengths of Kevlar based cloth spread between his limbs soaring down now at near terminal velocity he swept under the arch of the huge T. A pair of steel cables shot from his wrists, grapples styled like red X's near silently rooted themselves into the concrete. Perfect.

Swinging round, the suit taking the strain, he planted his feet perfectly on the top of a doorway, his wrists releasing the cables he dropped onto the balcony near the great arch of the T and looking out to Sea. So nice when preparation pays off. Holding up his right hand, a red X laser cut out and forward. The lock clicked and the glass door opened. The room beyond was pink, fluffy, decorations chosen by an innocent. Red X drifted into it like a corrupting shadow.

"Hmmm, poor Starfire, if only you had met me when you arrived instead of these idiots. We could have been something special." He let out an exaggerated sigh. As he eyes up the sleeping girl. Still he though, not bad to look at. Drifting out into the corridor, silent as the shadow he resembled. It seemed as if a floating skull were drifting down the empty corridors. Ahh yes, third door on the left and… Bingo. His entry point had been irrelevant but a look at the Alien was always worth it, he gave a little snort at the irony as he drifted into the last room on the corridor, Raven's.

* * *

The film ended with a dramatic car chase, involving several characters Raven and Guardian could swear that they had never seen before. Raven switched off the huge TV and an uncomfortable silence rolled across the room. 

"So then," Raven began, "Apart from hunt this guy what do the Guardians do?" did that sound rude? Did it matter?

"Aha, interesting question," Guardian smiled. "You will have heard of a few of them, though not as Guardians, normally we have kept our identities separate. I suppose the most famous would be Rorek.. Raven? What's wrong?"

"_Do you promise you'll still be here when I wake up?"_

"_You don't want to be alone?" She looked up in to the eyes of the Avatar she had made for him through tear filled eyes. Finally, defeated, she looks down._

"_No…"_

_The beast roared atop the tower, gouts of fire illuminating the sky, throwing everything into horrible flashes of light and shadow. Raven fell to her knees as Starfire was swatted out of the air by one great claw and Cyborg smashed down under a great tail._

" _He lied to me...he lied. And I gave him what he wanted…" _

"I… I'm fine" No this was that feeling again! How could she be so stupid. "T-Tell me more about Rorek. I think I have one of his books."

"You do?" Guardian sat forward suddenly seemingly oblivious to Raven's discomfort. "Some say he was the greatest of the Guardians, he defeated the Dragon.

"Malchior." Raven dropped in.

"Yes… Malchior was a terrifying creature, a master of Black magic he laid waste to city after city after the Cult of Trigon had awoken him from deep beneath the earth. Finally Rorek confronted him and."

"Bound him in his spell book."

"….Yes… How do you know all this?"

"I have his spell book."

"You have the Lost Tome of Rorek!" Guardian seemed almost to be shaking now. "May I see it?"

"Sure, just don't listen to Malchior, he tells a lot of lies…"

"Of course, of course. Where is it?" Guardian was floating up into the air now, scanning the room as if the book would be just lying around. Raven couldn't help smiling at the overexcited young mage. It was good she decided to find someone else who could read.

"Follow me" She sighed.

Together they soared down the corridor. Landing outside Raven's door. Touching the lock the door opened.

"That's odd.."

"What?"

"I could have sworn I'd locked it.." She said as Guardian soared into the room. Shrugging she entered after him and walked over to the book case. Kneeling down she looked up at Guardian.

"Switch on a light will you?"

As light filled the dark room Raven looked at the empty space in the book shelf.

"Oh no…"

"What is it?" Guardian asked, his excitement stilled by the fear in her tone.

"The book… its gone." Raven said pulling away at the books on either side, there so clear now, the stone of the wall still glowing red from where it had been heated.

A red X burnt into the wall.

* * *

So what did you think? 


	5. Enter the HIVE

Ok… Well the purists are REALLY gonna hate me for this, or maybe you won't. Finally they arrive, as I'm sure you knew they would, its hard to keep them out. Well quite simply the H.I.V.E. have spent a year apart, ish, the details of what exactly they have been doing will be reveled in time. As for Gizmo's speech… well this just seemed more appropriate. As ever tell me what you think!

"G0D, I'm 50 b0r3d U GuY5,"

"Shut up. Just stop talking." Jinx pinched the bridge of her nose; she was getting sick of this.

"sCrEw Y0U, i R0X0R!" Gizmo said, his voice had taken on a metallic twang since his last set of implants. Some in the H.I.V.E. said they would send him as a spy to S.T.A.R. when he was old enough. Jinx doubted it; lucky as she was it would be too much to ask to have this eight-legged fool transferred. Behind her near silent steps and the incessant tapping of the little freaks, steps came the slow thunderous progression of Mammoth. He had grown since the last fight with the Titans, just as her powers had progressed; even Gizmo she had to admit with his new implants and modifications was rapidly becoming deadly.

Yet still we are at _his _beck and call.

So here they were, about a mile underground outside Jump. There was one thing you had to give Slade, he might be a pompous ass, hide his… delicious face behind a mask and have a penchant for melodrama. But no one designed a base quite like him. All dark metal and hidden turrets. His usual robot guards lurking in the shadow in greater numbers than she had seen before. One of the rooms she had been in was the closest thing to a barracks those robots had, was Slade building an Army?

If so he would, have more than those jumped up boy scouts to deal with. But then there was nothing the three of them couldn't handle now, it had been eighteen months since they had last clashed with the Titans. She had been to Europe, training, always training. Gizmo had been with the crime syndicate of America while Mammoth came with her. He had changed since his time in the Black Forest. But then they all had. Her powers would leave that little gothic cow dizzy until she decided to take her apart piece by piece; Mammoth though was almost like a different person. He was quiet all the time, when they had clashed with the Justice League of Europe he had been so calm, he didn't just use brawn anymore he fought with a casual skill when ever anyone asked what he had done in the forest he just said he had been 'getting in touch with his roots', what ever that meant.

"wH7 Do u 7hInK 7H3 0lD mn wn75 U5 F0R nYwy5?" Gizmo clanged out shattering her concentration.

"Who knows, he never tells us anything till we get there. Even you know that geek." She responded calmly, had she changed? Everything just seemed so easy now; she had surpassed her erstwhile teacher by the end of the year. The woman hadn't expected the attack at the end, but she couldn't afford rivals being trained up. On the other hand, was it a year with London's nightlife, she could legally drink over there, well not legally but no one seemed to care, she had matured in more ways than one.

"I kN0W 7H7 jInX, w3 lL kN0W 7H7, I 7HiNkInG B0U7 b357 gU35535, Kn0w Wh7 I m3N?" She hated the way she said his name now but in the two months since she and Mammoth had gotten back Gizmo's even more annoying speech pattern, though that was hard to believe in itself, was made up for by his new abilities. He was now packing more gadgets that he ever had; some of them were even useful she thought her habitual smirk breaking into an open grin.

"Oh course she knows what you mean. Now stop cringing, we shall find out soon enough." Jinx almost jumped in surprise, Mammoth's voice was deeper to it rolled like slow thunder, that with his new dark grey and black outfit made him seem like a storm made flesh.

"Yeah, as he said. Here we are." The huge bulkhead doors of Slade's inner sanctum hissed open before them, more robotic guards bowing out of their way.

"Ahhhh. So the students return. Have you enjoyed the last year?" Slade's calm, oily voice greeted them from an almost throne-like steel chair atop a apparently weightless floating dais. As the large steel construction floated past Slade stepped off the swift moving platform apparently effortlessly, moving with the casual, almost inhuman grace they had come to expect. But without even waiting for a response he cut back in. "Excellent, you have returned at a most… opportune time. The victory is at hand, but now the prize has become greater. It is not just Jump that will be ours, not just the lives and souls of the Titans to destroy. The world lies open to us." Jinx glanced around the room casually, still the same archaic yet high tech themes, and below where the floating dais had come to rest was an assembly of black leather chairs.

Slade made casual gestures for them to take a seat as he took he crossed the room to an expansive control panel. His gauntleted fingers tapped at controls as they took their seats. Gizmo had a little difficulty before just collapsing his back legs and sliding in backwards. Mammoth just smiled at his, pushed it aside and sat on the floor, crossing his legs. Jinx smiled as her skin rubbed against the ruff leather of the chair, swinging a lilac thigh over one arm she tossed back her hair and sank back into its deep padding.

"Comfortable, babe?" That voice, the over confident drawl could only be one person.

"Hey X, you come begging for scraps or just a pat on the head?"

"Oh, come on witch, no need to be harsh to an old friend is there?" Red X sauntered into sight, leaning over her chair she smiled up at him. "You weren't so… cold when we last met." Behind the thief she could she Mammoth's face darken, his eyes seemed to glitter in their deep hollows. Why was he so angry? Was he this protective of his friends? For the second time this year she was glad she was one of them.

"Things change X and unless your feeling" she gently began to stroke his masked face, allowing a little magic to flow into it glowed like an indigo torch. "Very, _very_ lucky. You'll take a seat. All the way over there." She gestured across the ring of chairs with her foot. He seemed to hesitate for a second, Mammoth stirred almost imperceptibly behind him.

"Sure babe, whatever you say" He said it in the same nonchalant tone but crossed the room with a minutely smaller swagger. Gizmo through all this was glancing around the room like a four year old in an amusement arcade, occasionally licking his lips.

"What's up geek? You look like you're in a radio shack." She sneered at him, what had gotten him so excited?

"hAvEn'T u G07 3y35 In Y0Ur H3d JiNx? cn'7 U l00K R0UnD, 7h3 oLd mn'5 N3W dIgS r3, _hOoKeD uP_! i M3n ToTaLy 1337!" He garbled out, almost brimming over with glee.

"Sure… Its _Slade _you were expecting perhaps concrete walls and a few shotguns? Get real."

"n0, u d0n'7 g37 I7. i7'5 R3lLy 0u7 7h3r3. H3 Mu57 g07z 50m3 N3W MoNeY, 0R CoNtAcTs 0r $0M7HiNg!"

"I do indeed Gizmo, even the something. You are not the only ones who have been developing over the past year." He gave the beginnings of a laugh. He never told you anything more than he thought he needed to. "May I introduce my new associate. Archon, head of the cult of Trigon."

Jinx looked up interested for the first time since arriving as from behind the steel throne came a man dressed all in blood red robes. His skin stretched taught, yellowed with time, his white hair though was still thick and his eyes blazed with an intensity that made Jinx feel like she was being dissembled piece by piece and examined. She could feel power radiating out from him as a fire gives out heat. Interesting…


End file.
